From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Fierce Battle in the Cold Palace

Moonlight streamed down from the crumbling walls on either side of the stone path surrounding the Cold Palace, casting a pale, silvery-gray hue on the bluestone pavement.

This road has been abandoned for many years, with withered grass sprouting from the cracks in the stones and moss covering the palace walls. It is the shortest shortcut from the Crown Prince's residence to the Han King's palace, but also the weakest section in terms of defense.

"If Tianze only wanted revenge, the Crown Prince would be dead long ago."

Han Fei stood at the corner of the stone path, looking at the road surface that was pale in the moonlight. "He set up a defensive formation at the Crown Prince's residence, but he never intended to kill the Crown Prince from beginning to end."

"The Crown Prince is bait in his hands. He will lure the Imperial Guards to the Crown Prince's residence, draw the attention of the Nightfall forces there, and then escape in the chaos."

"Using the prince as bait, what does he want?" Zi Nu held her chain sword horizontally in front of her, leaning against a section of broken wall.

"A bigger fish." Han Fei's gaze fell at the end of the stone path. "Throughout the entire state of Han, there are very few bargaining chips heavier than the Crown Prince. He has also brought the Imperial Guards here. The Imperial Guards have surrounded the Crown Prince's residence, leaving the royal palace undefended. What he wants is not the Crown Prince's residence, but the royal palace."

"Assassinate the King of Han?"

"That's possible. If it was an assassination attempt on the King, he could have gone into the morning court hall with Yan Lingji when she stormed the palace. It would have been easier to do it then than now, but he didn't."

Han Fei shook his head. "He went through all this trouble, diverting everyone else, and then came here alone. My intuition tells me that what he wants might be more than just revenge."

"More than just revenge?" Zi Nu frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure. So I'll wait for him here. The road to the Cold Palace is the only way from the Crown Prince's residence to the Royal Palace. Whatever he wants, he will definitely pass through this road. By intercepting him, we intercept the answer."

At the end of the stone path came the faint, clattering sound of metal dragging across the bluestone, extremely light and dense, like countless scales rubbing against the stone slabs. The edge of a dark blue cloak first peeked out from the shadow of the crumbling wall, then the moonlight fell upon the person, "Tianze."

He walked slowly, each step carrying a heavy, long-suppressed obsession. Six jet-black chains, each as thick as a thumb, were wrapped around his waist and arms, their surfaces gleaming with a cold, matte metallic sheen, each ending in a snake-head-shaped spike.

Six chains slowly unfurled behind him, like the six legs of a spider, while a snake-head spike hung in mid-air, trembling slightly with his breath, like a living creature sniffing out its prey.

Han Fei emerged from behind the crumbling wall and stood in the middle of the stone path. Tianze paused for a moment, and the six chains behind him simultaneously emitted a series of fine metallic vibrations.

The moonlight fell on his face, which looked even more haggard than when we last met at the ferry crossing, a face ravaged by time and torture. Yet, a stubborn light still burned in his deep-set eyes.

"Wait for me here." His voice was low and hoarse, without hostility or surprise.

"This road is the only way. If you're going to the palace, you'll definitely have to pass through here."

Han Fei looked at the six chains behind him. "Yan Lingji's attack on the palace was a feint, and the Crown Prince's residence was also a feint. You deceived everyone. The Nightfall Army thought you were in the Crown Prince's residence, and the Imperial Guards also thought you were in the Crown Prince's residence, but you are no longer here."

The Crown Prince was never a bargaining chip in your hands, but bait. The fish you used to catch was heavier than the Crown Prince. There are very few bargaining chips heavier than the Crown Prince in all of Korea. But if it was just about assassinating your father, you could have done it long ago. My intuition tells me that you want more than just revenge.

Tianze remained silent for a long time, the moonlight casting two heavy shadows in his deep-set eyes. Then he suddenly laughed, a soft, short laugh, like a rusty lock being half-turned by an old key, but without a trace of joy in it.

The six chains behind him trembled simultaneously with his laughter, and the snake-head spikes opened in the moonlight, revealing a dark purple aura of witch power within.

"He's stalling for time," Zi Nu said in a low voice, her chain sword tilting slightly in the moonlight. "The chains are moving; he's about to make his move."

"It would be strange if he didn't take action."

Before he could finish speaking, a slender, dark figure silently emerged from the shadow of the crumbling wall behind Han Fei.

The withered, emaciated hand of the Corpse-Driving Demon emerged from beneath the cloak, a stream of grayish-white death energy condensing between its five fingers, aimed straight at Han Fei's back.

It happened too fast, too quietly—no wind, no killing intent, not even the moonlight could illuminate his face. Tianze's chains drew their full attention; the Corpse-Driving Demon was the real killing move.

Zi Nu caught a glimpse of that grayish-white figure out of the corner of her eye. Holding the chain sword in her hand, she didn't hesitate at all. She stepped in front of Han Fei, the chain sword flashing, the crimson blade taking the blow from the Corpse-Driving Demon.

The instant death energy collided with the sword energy, an extremely cold force surged through the sword and into her tiger's mouth, instantly paralyzing her entire right arm and causing her to drop the chain sword. She staggered back half a step, her shoulder colliding with Han Fei's chest.

"There are people behind us!" Zi Nu shouted through gritted teeth.

Han Fei turned around abruptly, only to see the withered figure of the Corpse-Driving Demon retreat after a single attack, disappearing back into the shadows of the crumbling wall. At the same moment their attention was diverted, Tianze moved. Six chains spun and exploded in the moonlight, and the dark purple arcs trailing from the snake-head spikes resembled six living snakes, pressing down from the front like an overwhelming force.

The Corpse Demon's sneak attack was actually a feint; Tianze's move was the real killing blow. The two coordinated perfectly, timing it flawlessly.

Zi Nu's right arm was numb, and the chain sword slipped from her hand. She could only use her left hand to draw the short dagger from her waist to block the chain attacking from the front. The moment the short dagger collided with the snake-head spike, a burst of dark purple sparks exploded. The fabric of her left arm was torn in several places by the witch's power, and she was knocked back three steps.

Before she could regain her footing, a chain came from the side, its snake-headed spike tearing through the fabric of her left shoulder, blood spreading from her shoulder to her collarbone. She groaned, falling to one knee, both shoulders wounded, blood seeping from between her fingers and dripping onto the cobblestone pavement.

"Zi Nu!" Han Fei supported her, turned around and shouted sternly, "Imperial Guards!"

The imperial guards lying in ambush on both sides of the stone path rushed out in response, their swords drawn, and surrounded Tianze and the Corpse-Driving Demon in the middle of the road.

However, the Corpse-Driving Demon didn't even turn his head. His withered hands emerged from under his cloak, and a gray-white death aura spread out like a tide.

The first six Imperial Guards to rush forward were bound by death energy around their ankles, their bodies stiffening and stopping in place. They then slowly turned around, their eyes already turning deathly gray. In an instant, the six Imperial Guards were transformed into corpse puppets, raising their swords and rushing towards Han Fei and Zi Nu together with the death energy of the Corpse-Driving Demon.

The remaining Imperial Guards gripped their swords and began to retreat. Tianze stood behind the Corpse Puppet Formation, the six chains re-unfurling behind him, aimed at Zi Nu who was kneeling on one knee.

"Your sword is fast, but alas! It's not fast enough." He raised his right hand, and two chains rose from behind him. The snake-head spikes gleamed with a dark purple light in the moonlight. "That last strike only crippled your two arms. This time, I'll take your life."

Six Corpse Puppet Guards led the way, while the deathly aura of the Corpse-Driving Demons surrounded them from both sides, and Tianze's chains blocked all escape routes. Zi Nu slowly straightened up, using her left hand to support herself against the crumbling wall. Her chain sword lay at her feet; she didn't pick it up, even if she did, she wouldn't be able to hold it.

"The blades exploded in the moonlight!"

No one saw where the blade came from. All they saw was a jet-black arc emerging from the shadows behind Zi Nu, its force as heavy as a collapsing mountain, its intent as vast as a rolling landscape.

The withered grass on both sides of the stone path was pressed flat against the ground by the wind from the blade, and the moss on the crumbling walls peeled away inch by inch. The six corpse puppet guards were sent flying like paper before the blade's intent, crashing into the crumbling walls, their death aura completely dispelled, and they slid softly to the ground.

The death aura of the Corpse-Driving Demon crumbled upon contact. Sweeped by the residual force of the blade, the demon tumbled off the stone path, crashed into the crumbling wall, and rolled twice before regaining its footing.

Tianze's six chains retracted simultaneously, forming a defensive net of intertwined snake heads in front of him. However, in the face of the blade's power, the magical energy on the chains melted away instantly, like ice and snow entering a furnace.

He felt an immense, unparalleled force surge through his body from the chains. All six chains simultaneously lost their grip and drooped, and he was swept backward by the force of the blade. His back slammed against a crumbling wall, sending rubble scattering everywhere. He staggered back several steps before regaining his balance, his hand split open, dark purple blood dripping from the chains onto the cobblestone pavement.

"The landscape is like a painting," and the magnificent scenery of thousands of mountains and rivers unfolded in the sword's momentum. Giant mountains stretched across the sky, and great rivers rushed to the sea. It was not an illusion, but a real Dao domain manifested by the clear and indestructible divine thought that drew upon the great power of heaven and earth. With just one sword, the corpse puppets were scattered, the corpse demons were driven away, and the heavenly marshes were injured.

A new person appeared before Zi Nu, dressed in plain clothes, with broad shoulders and a robust build. Ji Du's sword was held horizontally in front of him, its seven-foot-three-inch black blade gleaming with a deep, matte sheen under the moonlight. Dark patterns resembling the veins of mountains and rivers flowed faintly across the blade's surface, and the entire stone path was still suffocated by that heavy, domineering aura.

"You've come!" Zi Nu's voice finally cracked slightly, not with composure, but with a sigh of relief.

"Nongyu said you were over here. I'm a step too late." Xu Huang turned his head, his gaze falling on the bloodstains on her shoulders. "You're injured!"

"A superficial injury!" Zi Nu tried to remain calm, but the fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead betrayed her.

"You call this a superficial injury?" Xu Huang reached out to support her slightly swaying shoulder. "You can barely stand and you're still being stubborn!"

"It's you!" Tianze straightened up, and the six chains slowly gathered behind him again. He remembered this sword; at the ferry, Wei Zhuang had asked its name. Last time, he couldn't see through this person and only thought it was the deepest trump card hidden by Quicksand.

Today, this trump card has been revealed. With just one strike, at least 50% of the witch's power was dispersed, and even the six newly transformed corpse puppets were shattered by the sword's intent.

Tianze didn't linger in the fight. He retracted the six chains to his waist and flashed to the corner of the stone path. The Corpse-Driving Demon crawled up from the crumbling wall and followed closely behind. The two disappeared into the night, but suddenly stopped at the fork in the road outside the Cold Palace.

A young girl was crouching behind a half-broken wall, staring at them with wide eyes. She wore a light pink dress and had red coral beads in her hair. It was Princess Honglian.

She secretly slipped out of the palace, intending to find Wei Zhuang at Zilan Pavilion. Passing by the Cold Palace, she heard the sound of swords and curiously approached, only to bump into Tian Ze, who was retreating.

"You—" Honglian's eyes widened, her right hand resting on the short sword at her waist, her left foot taking a half-step back. But she was facing a Baiyue prince who could even defeat the Imperial Guard's sword formation with a single blow. Tianze's withered hand gripped her wrist before her sword was even drawn, and with a slight release of his sorcery, his entire right arm instantly went numb, and the short sword fell to the ground.

"Let me go! Do you know who I am?"

The Corpse-Driving Demon appeared from behind, hoisting her onto its shoulder. The deathly aura sealed her mouth and nose, and Honglian's struggles abruptly ceased as she fell unconscious.

"Red Lotus!" Han Fei rushed out of the stone path around the corner, only to see the Corpse-Driving Demon's back disappear at the end of the fork in the road, with a pinkish-white figure on his shoulder. His feet were frozen in place, his purple brocade robe fluttering in the night wind, his fingers slowly clenching in his sleeves.

Zi Nu walked over from behind, her shoulder wounds hastily bandaged with strips of torn cloak cloth. She followed Han Fei's gaze in the direction where the Corpse-Driving Demon had disappeared and said in a low voice, "Tian Ze captured Hong Lian not to kill her."

"I know," Han Fei's voice was soft, yet as thin as a blade, "He's telling me that he can touch the person I care about most."

"You need to calm down."

"I'm very calm." Han Fei turned around, the moonlight illuminating his expression clearly. It was a deep calm that came from suppressing all his emotions after being provoked. "Because I'm calm, I know what he wants."

"Tianze wants more than just revenge. By daring to touch Honglian, he's forcing me to choose between my father and Honglian. Next time we meet, I'll make him realize that he can't afford the consequences of his actions."

"I'll go with you next time." Xu Huang sheathed Ji Du's sword. "You're no match for him alone."

Han Fei paused for a moment, then nodded.

It was late at night when they returned to Zilan Pavilion. Nongyu was sitting under the lamp, and the two wine cups had been warmed again. She saw the three people push the door open and enter. Her gaze first fell on Xu Huang, who was unharmed, then moved to Zi Nu, whose shoulders were wrapped with strips of cloth with blood seeping through. She then looked at Han Fei, her face solemn, and she remained silent.

"Is Sister Zi Nu badly injured?" She got up to fetch medicine and a clean white cloth.

"It's just a superficial wound." Zi Nu sat down beside the table. "The problem is the residual witch power."

Nongyu untied the makeshift bandages, cleaned the wound, applied medicine, and re-bandaged it, her movements light and steady. Her fingers paused slightly when she saw the dark purple remnants of witchcraft remaining at the edge of the wound.

"What are these dark purple marks?"

"The magical power on the Heavenly Ze Chains," Zi Nu frowned. "It's highly corrosive; if the wound isn't cleaned properly, it will fester repeatedly."

"I'll do it." Xu Huang squatted down beside Nongyu, took the medicine bottle, and gently applied the ointment to Zi Nu's shoulder wound with his fingertips. The innate true essence nurtured by his body at the Divine Indestructible level seeped into the wound from his fingertips, dispelling the residual witch power. Zi Nu leaned against the table with her eyes closed, neither thanking him nor pushing him away.

Han Fei downed half a cup of wine and briefly recounted what had happened in the Cold Palace. After listening, Nongyu asked softly, "Is Princess Honglian safe now?"

"She's safe for now." Han Fei put down his wine cup. "Tianze captured her not to kill her, but to use her to keep me in check. He knows Honglian is the person I care about most, so he took her with him when he retreated. He'll use Honglian to make demands next."

"What are the conditions?"

"I don't know yet."

"No matter the conditions, Honglian must be saved." Zi Nu opened her eyes, her tone still calm, but the faint blue circles under her eyes were deeper than ever before.

Xu Huang finished bandaging her with the last layer of white cloth, then stood up and sat down beside Nongyu. Nongyu gently touched the rim of his cup and asked softly, "Is Tianze very strong?"

"His magical power is at least twice as strong as when we last met. However, after being stabbed by me, he won't dare to come back anytime soon."

"What about Princess Honglian?"

"Han Fei will find a way. He's more anxious than anyone else, but he also knows that being anxious is useless."

The night was deep outside the window, and the lights from the direction of the palace flickered in the darkness. The skirmish in the Cold Palace had temporarily come to an end, but with Honglian captured, Tianze had gained another bargaining chip. This undercurrent was far from over.